Roots Archives Forum

The idea for this message come as I was listening to Milton Henry's "Rastafari Cannot Die" 12". I already mentioned here that I am a fan of Robert Sanchez's work. I bought this 12.

However, the tune goes somehow wrong at the "bridge". This often happens in reggae. Everyone knows "a bridge is a contrasting section that prepares for the return of the original material section." It's a transition period. Many artists anticipate it by saying "to the bridge". Often vocal, it can also be instrumental.

Back to the 12". Great instrumentation, lyrics, voice. Just superb. And then, boom, Milton Henry starts saying "ratatatatatata", "rata-rata-rata-rata" etc. To my ears, just "kills the tune". Sounds like ratatouille to me. Disconnected from the song. Happy to own the tune, but am thinking of remixing it with a dub portion found elsewhere on side A...

Another example of a great song that goes wrong: Cornell Campbell's My Confession.

Check the link and place cursor at 30".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB96ObBuWfI

This part is - in my ears - totally off

" Cause when if it shows too long, I may not know where I-AM-GOING"

Last example - and then your turn please - Cornell Campbell again. Great great song: Give me Love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E85AXnWzMHM

Here the instruments are a total mess at the 1:25 - 1:38 section. Cornell is clearly waiting for that section to pass so he can take over.

To my ears, these 3 examples hold these songs from moving from "great" to "fantastic".

Total respect due that said. I can't play any instrument, and can't sing outside my car

Bruce Ruffin Rain is an obvious example when he starts singing "it's raining it's pouring" he murders the song, I edited it out on my version

Another is Breaking Up by Alton Ellis has that awful spoken bit "I know breaking up is hard to do" luckily that is panned to one speaker so you can edit that out too

Vlad, It's good to see that other people feel the pain and go insane when a great tune suddenly goes bad - or sour

Isn't it maddening when this happens!

It's as if artists might say to themeselves, "this great song I have going, hmmmm, how can I ruin it?"

I wonder if they just don't hear these moments of disaster, don't recognize them or maybe they just don't think it is that bad and the audience won't really care.

Your Milton Henry notation is a prime example. What is that "ratatatatatata", "rata-rata-rata-rata" even doing in there?

Thanks again Vlad for the good, reassuring laugh - now if some artists would read this a take heed

Thanks for the thumbs up versionside. I was listening to the Milton 12" with a friend this week-end and we just couldn't stop laughing - and repeating "rata, rata, rata" - during quite a while.

Milton Henry, if you're reading this, respect. Taste is personal. I'll keep on buying your music, and still think the power of this 12 super seeds this section. No man is perfect only Far I. I'll never craft a better 12 myself, with or without ratatatatata.

When you find it was originally done by Tony Blackburn! (So Much Love- Alton Ellis)

Some times it's not the singer but just one single instrument that desturbs me so much, that it ruins an otherwise brilliant song and makes it almost unhearable.

I don't wanna drop any names now, don't wanna piss off the Sly-Fans and the Rockguitar-Fans again

Sister Stern's "Last Dance", when she talks in the bridge "i know we had a quarrel, but all sweethearts do" is so jarringly loud when it comes in, it spoils an otherwise great song for just a second..

Thanks blackbeltjonez. Checked on YT. Song is called "Last Date". Never heard it before, but agree with you. The talking bit doesn't work.

By the way, issue is of course not reggae specific. Al Green's "Feels Like Summer" starts great and then, after exactly 1 minute, the most dreadful synthesizer kicks in, probably to try to sound like violins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXfsyS_GraU

I mention Al, because I think that he was a big influence to many jamaican artists as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWE2EYc3sE
Heavy heavy riddim, I just wish they wouldnt cut so many instruments out of the mix ...
Is there possible to get Roots Radics riddims like versions, not dubs. Instrumentals without mix?
That would be wicked!

vlad wrote:Thanks blackbeltjonez. Checked on YT. Song is called "Last Date". Never heard it before, but agree with you. The talking bit doesn't work.

doh....yes, "Last Date" by Sister Stern - it was somewhat of a big chune in 1975 on Wild Flower, cover of the old Skeeter Davis hit. she had one other record on High Note or some other Pottinger label and i've never seen anything else by her.